


Hang In There, Knox.

by I_am_a_mess



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Fainting, Fever, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Graphic Description, Headaches & Migraines, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, It's not all bad, Kuroshitsuji II | Black Butler II, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Nausea, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Poor Ronnie, Seizures, Shinigami, Sick Character, Sickfic, Stomach Ache, Vomiting, Whump, but he cares for ronnie wonny, caring william, there is fluff i swear, will is an ass at first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-12 16:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7940725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_a_mess/pseuds/I_am_a_mess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronald Knox is plagued by migraines that affect his everyday life. Gone is the cheery, party loving Shinigami. But these are so much more than just mere headaches. What do they mean? And what will happen when a certain stoic, black haired reaper finds out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Migraines

**Author's Note:**

> THIS SHIT WILL BE ANGSTY I SWEAR TO GOD I NEED TO STOP. But yeah I hope you enjoy!

Ron winced and gritted his teeth through yet another migraine. They were becoming a regular occurrence ever since he graduated the academy.

Sometimes, they were very light headaches, other times, it was like someone was hammering on the inside of his skull and burning his eyes from the inside. He spent lots of his time out of work in his apartment, curtains closed and a blanket over his head. Gone was the partying, carefree Ronald Knox.

Currently, he was clad in only briefs, sprawled out over the couch with a hand to his temple. He was thankful for his day off as it meant he could recuperate at home without any of his co-workers realizing something was wrong. The last thing he needed was to be sent to the infirmary, or worse, demoted.

He jumped when the phone rang, groaning as it made his headache worse. It was one of the worst ones he’d had so far so he was thankful to be alone away from others.

“Hello?” He grumbled.

“Knox.” Came William T Spears’ voice from the other end of the line. “You are needed in at work. There was been a major incident and we need all the staff who are available to collect souls.”

“Overtime?” Ron moaned, dreading having to go into the office.

William sighed. “Yes, Knox. Overtime. Now come over here and make it quick.” He added. “I don’t want your tardiness to affect the schedule.” With that, the line went dead.

Ron groaned again.  ‘Today is not my day.’  He thought, rising from the couch to get dressed. It was meant to be his day off, he was going to spend the day sleeping under his blanket and attempting to soothe his headache.

He went into his bedroom, opening the wardrobe and putting on his uniform. He quickly buttoned his shirt, fumbling with the buttons before putting on his tie looser than usual. Looking in the mirror, he sighed at his reflection. Even he could see he was a sight to behold, his whole body was shaking slightly and there was a green tinge to his face. He put a clammy hand to his forehead, trying to soothe the hammering in his skull but to no avail.

He sighed, straightening his jacket, before exiting the apartment.

~*~

He ported into the offices. Instantly, his eyes were assaulted by the bright lights and he winced.

“Knox!” Will called, making him wince again. “What took you so long?!”

“Sorry, Sir.” Ron mumbled quietly.

Will looked over his subordinate closely. Ron’s face was pale, a sheen of sweat coating his skin. His eyes had huge bags under them and he was looking quite dazed. “Just get to work.” Will sighed.  ‘Probably just the reminisce of a hangover.’  He thought to himself.  ‘Nothing to worry about as long as he gets his job done.’ 

Ron nodded and looked over his ledger to see he had ten souls to collect. He was paired with Eric instead of Grell today, Grell already being on the field.

“Hey, kid!” A Scottish accent called from the other end of the offices. “Ye’ ready?”

Ron nodded and they both ported to the destination of their first soul.

Luckily, it was fairly dark in the warehouse where the soul was destined to die, so Ronald’s eyes didn’t suffer as much. His head, however, was much worse than before. He didn’t even want to think about what his head would be like once he’d started up his lawnmower.

Revving the engine to life, he groaned quietly, not quite loud enough for Eric to hear. The Scotsman was busy collecting his own souls, but frowned when he saw Ron swaying on his feet.  
Ron managed to catch the first soul without incident but he ended up needing Eric’s help with the second and third souls. By the ninth soul, he was pretty sure he was ready to pass out any minute.

“Ye alrigh’, laddie?” Eric asked. “Yer lookin’ a bit pale.”

Ronald swallowed back the nausea that had made itself up his throat and nodded. “Yeah m’fine.”

Eric’s eyebrow furrowed but he said nothing. If the kid wasn’t going to talk, he wasn’t going to make him. He trusted that Ron would say something if it really was that bad.

Ronald then collected the final soul, almost collapsing onto the floor. His breathing was laboured and he looked up to see Eric staring at him with a look he couldn’t decipher. Before Eric even had a chance to question him, Ron ported away and back to the offices.

“Knox.” Will called. “Have you completed your field work assignment?”

“Yes, Sir.” Ron answered quietly, struggling to keep his eyes open.

Will watched him with a frown. “You are dismissed. You will write up your reports tomorrow, understood?” Ron nodded. “Good. Now go sleep off that hangover, will you?”

Ron’s face contorted into a confused expression as he hadn’t drank in weeks as it worsened his headaches but he shrugged off his boss’ words, thankful to be able to go home.

He quickly ported back into his apartment, not even bothering to take off his uniform before slumping onto the bed.

“You can’t keep doing this!” 

“What choice do we have?” 

“There’s not enough food!” 

“Send him out!” 

The voices kept screaming and Ron tried to cover his ears to block them out. Who were these people? Why are they yelling? 

The scene changed to some seedy bar in the backstreets of London. There were hookers everywhere. A balding man approached Ronald. 

“How much?” Ronald didn’t even utter a reply but the man continued like he’d heard an answer. “Alright then, upstairs sweet cheeks.” 

The scene changed again and Ronald was lying on a bed as the man loomed above him. 

Ron jolted awake, his headache worse than it had ever been, followed by a nagging pain in his stomach. His clothes were drenched in sweat and he groaned, running a hand over his face before heading to the bathroom. He had just over an hour before he had to head to work so he had to make it quick.

He turned on the shower, waiting for it to warm up before removing his clothes and jumping in. He could barely stand so ended up using the wall for support and just letting the water run over him.

By the time he’d got dressed, his stomach ache had grown considerably. He felt like one wrong movement would cause him to throw up everywhere. Pushing his feelings aside, he grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and ported into the dispatch.

~*~

William T Spears was surprised to see that his subordinate still looked ill. In fact, he looked worse than before. He watched Ronald walk over to his desk and slump into his seat. He noticed visible tremors going through his body as the boy picked up his pen to complete his large mound of paperwork. He had an arm wrapped timidly around his stomach and a permanent look of pain on his face.

Will sighed, getting up from his chair and making his way towards Ron’s desk. “Knox.” He said sternly. The reaper in question only blearily looked up at him. “You are ill.” He stated.

“W-what? No! M’fine.” Ron stuttered.

“You are certainly not fine.” Will said matter-of-factly.

“Aye!” Eric chimed from the office cubicle next door. “I thought ‘e was gonna keel over in front of me!”

“T-There’s nothing wrong!” Ronald protested, but quickly slammed his mouth shut when he felt the familiar feeling of nausea bubbling at his throat.

“Ronald, stop this. Go home. There is no point you staying here if- Knox?” Will questioned as Ron doubled over, clutching his head.

“I..” Ronald didn’t even have a chance to finish his sentence as he winced and cried out, clutching his forehead. Images were flying at 100 miles an hour through his brain, hammering his skull until he thought it would split.

Ronald was lying on a lumpy mattress, violated. The balding man from his nightmare looked down at him, licking his lips before throwing some notes into the blonde’s hands. 

“There you go, you filthy whore.” He muttered before leaving the room. 

“I don’t want this.” 

“Make it stop.” 

“M-my family.” 

“For them.” 

“For them.” 

“Knox!”

Ron’s head snapped upright, the fog behind his eyes lifting.

“Ronald, tell me what’s happening this instant!” Will demanded, worry coating his tone. The way Ronald had almost collapsed in front of him terrified him. Will was the boss, he was supposed to know everything but he had no idea how to help Ron and that scared him more than anything, especially when it came to said reaper. He’d always had a soft spot for Ronald, even if he tried not to show it. He was cheerful and helped Will remember that there was more to his existence than signing reports and collecting souls.

Ron looked up at him, blinking heavily. He had slumped down in his seat, his head bowed down and his unruly hair covering his eyes. Will was knelt down in front of him, one hand on either arm of the chair so that if Ron should fall, he could catch him.

“I-I d-don’t…” Ron trailed off, his breath shuddering. Will took an arm away from the chair to remove Ronald’s fringe from his eyes. The reaper was still trembling, his breathing harsh and ragged and his eyes were threatening to close.

“I’m going to take you home.” Will said softly. “Slingby!” He called. Ronald winced at the harsh volume and Will apologized softly, running his hands through the younger reaper’s locks to soothe him.

Eric’s head peeked over the cubicle wall. “Christ! Is he alrigh’?”

“I’m not so sure.” Will muttered, looking back at Ronald who was only half conscious. “I’m taking him home. It is my job as Supervisor to look after my subordinates. Whilst I am absent, you are in charge.”

“But Boss, I can’t- “

“You can, Slingby. You’ve worked here just as long as I have and you are the only person that I trust with this task, you will do well.” William assured, before pulling Ron up into a standing position.   
He grabbed Ron’s arm and slung it over his shoulder before leaving Ron’s cubicle. “Hang in there, Knox.” He said as Ronald moaned weakly.


	2. Nausea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of comforting Will, with some of his thoughts and feelings about our sick lil reaper :)

Ron breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the stuffy office building. The wind hit his face, instantly cooling him down.

“Are you able to teleport, Ronald?” Will asked, checking over his subordinate to look for any sign of his condition worsening.

“I-I d-don’t think…” Ronald slumped a little further, a frustrated expression on his face.

Will sighed. “It’s alright, Knox. We can’t teleport with you in this state. Come, my house is a five minute walk from here.” Ron nodded feebly.

Ronald’s steps were slow and shaky and Will had half a mind to just carry him to their destination. He thought better of it though, knowing the younger reaper would be more mortified than he already was.

Suddenly, Ron stiffened. “Boss- I think-“ He quickly grabbed his stomach. Grimacing, he leant over and emptied it’s contents onto the ground. Tears sprang out of his eyes as he violently retched and Will quickly rubbed a hand over his back in an attempt to comfort him.

“It’s alright, Ronald. Hush now. It’s over, it’s over.”

“I’m… s-sorry…”

“It’s okay. Just relax, we’re nearly here.” Will soothed, gently guiding the smaller reaper around the corner.

Ron staggered after him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Will put a supporting hand behind his back and brought him towards his apartment block. Inside, there was a large foyer with three sofas aligning the wall. They walked past them towards the elevator, only to find it out of order.

“Honestly…” William muttered under his breath as he grabbed Ronald’s underarms to help him get up the steps. Ronald’s moan of disapproval was not unheard.

“H-how many flights?”

“Four.” Will responded. “Not too many. Come on.”

They both proceeded up the stairs at a slow pace, Ron’s breath ragged and irregular.

“We’re nearly there. Only two more flights.” Will encouraged.

“I can’t…” Ron trailed off as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he went limp in his boss’ arms. Will was startled by the added deadweight of the unconscious reaper and shifted to accommodate him. It would take him twice as long to carry the blond at this rate so he quickly raised Ron’s arm around his shoulders and grabbed the reaper’s legs, carrying him bridal style the rest of the way.

He was quick to unlock his door and get them both inside, not wanting anyone to see Ron’s current state. He brought Ron over to the sofa, lying him down and draping a nearby blanket over his quivering form.

Will stared at him for a moment before placing a hand on the younger reaper’s forehead, he was burning up. He quickly headed into the bathroom and took out a clean washcloth and put it under the tap. He returned to find the blond writhing in his sleep, a look of discomfort on his face.

William peeled Ronald’s fringe from his sweaty forehead, placing the washcloth onto his skin. Ron instantly stilled, soothed by the cool fabric.

“What is going on with you?” Will murmured, running his hands through Ronald’s’ hair. Looking at Ron’s pained expression, he felt guilt run through him.  ‘How long has he been like this without me noticing? He’s been quieter than usual so why didn’t I think anything of it? I should know when something is wrong with my workers.’ 

‘But he’s more than that, isn’t he?’  A voice said in the back of his mind. He was quick to dismiss it.

‘No. Ronald is an employee. I can’t think of him like that. It’s truly unprofessional.’ 

‘It doesn’t change the truth, Spears, and you know it. You adore how he makes you feel. His care-free attitude reminds you that you don’t have to be so stoic. It frightens you, but you love it.’ 

Will huffed and dampened the cloth before putting it back onto Ronald’s forehead.

“I’ll find out what is wrong with you, Ronnie. I swear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naww Will started calling him Ronnie. How sweet :)


	3. For Them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronald takes a turn for the worse.

Ronald woke up a few hours later to find Will sat beside him reading a book.

“B-boss?” Ron was confused. As far as he was aware, the only books he had were erotica novels.

Will’s head shot up and he instantly dropped the book he had been intently reading. He cleared his throat. “You’re awake.” He noted. “Good. Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

Ron gulped. “I-I don’t know.”

Will’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me, Ronald. What has been happening? What brought this on? Is it stress from work? Am I being too harsh on you?”

“No, no! Nothing like that!”

“So there is something, then.”

Ron sighed. “Honestly, I’m not sure.” He straightened himself up on Will’s couch, removing the blanket that was wrapped around his legs. “I just started getting these headaches all the time.”

“Headaches?” Will questioned.

Ron nodded. “Yeah. And sometimes I’d see pictures. Flashes of things I don’t remember. Nightmares…” He added with a whisper.

“And how do you fair now?” Will asked softly.

“I’m okay for now. My head hurts a bit but that’s it.” Ron replied honestly.

“Well, that’s an improvement. I need to go for a couple of hours, will you be okay on your own?” Ron nodded. “Alright. Rest here, I will be back as soon as I can.”

“Where are you going?” The blond asked.

“To get answers.” Will muttered before porting away.

~*~

Will ported to the library, almost bumping into Alan in his hurry.

“Apologies, Sir!”

William sighed. “It’s perfectly alright, Humphries. I wasn’t looking where I was going either.”

Alan nodded. “Senpai?” He questioned.

“Yes?”

“Is Ronald okay? Eric told me what happened to him.”

“I’m not so sure.” William replied. “I have an idea what might be happening to him, but I need confirmation.”

“I hope you find what you need.” Alan said with a small smile before leaving his boss in private.

Will scanned the bookcases trying to find any information that would help to confirm his suspicions. Looking through the aisles, he picked up several books that held potential before finding a quiet table to read from.  
Sitting down in the corner, he opened the first book, silently hoping he wouldn’t be disturbed.

~*~

Ronald groaned, shutting his eyes and throwing the blanket over his head in frustration. A migraine had come back full force, hammering his skull mercilessly.

Knox was not one to cry, he was a reaper for heaven’s sake, but he was at the point of delirium and just wanted everything to stop. His stomach was also hurting considerably and the thought of leaving the couch was nauseating.

He curled himself up in the fetal position, praying that Will would be home soon. The man was comforting to him in a weird sort of way. Most people were afraid of him, but Ronald saw past the cold exterior and knew that there was a kind person underneath. The more time he spent with his boss, the more he wanted to break down Will’s walls and see his true self. Ronald was completely fascinated by him.

He moaned again, scrunching his eyes shut when the familiar sickening feeling washed over him. Feeling a pang of pain in his stomach, he lurched up and coughed violently, clutching his chest as it felt like his lungs were rattling in his ribcage.

His eyes widened at the red liquid splashing against the back of his hand.

~*~  
He had found it. It had taken him a little longer than he would have liked, but he finally had the answer.

William shut the book closed with a relieved sigh. Even though the answer wasn’t great, at least it was what he had been expecting. He knew a trip to Undertaker’s would be in order.

Rising from the chair, he heard his back crack twice, before he headed to put the books back.

~*~

“You’re the oldest, Ronald, and we have many more mouths to feed. We cannot afford to pay for you anymore.” 

“They’re taking people on… at the whore house.” 

“Please, Ronald. Will you do this for us?” 

“There is no other choice.” 

“Ronald?!” 

“Ronnie!” 

“What are you doing?!” 

“No! Put them down!” 

“Open the door! 

“OPEN IT!” 

“RONALD!” 

“Ronald!” Will cried, grabbing hold of the younger reaper’s shoulders.

Ron was unconscious, eyes moving rapidly behind his closed eyelids. His whole body was shaking and seizing, and William watched in horror as he tried to hold him down.

“Ronnie, Ronnie! Can you hear me? It’s William! Ronald, please!”

Ron’s eyes shot open but he was still shaking. “W-Will…”

“Don’t speak. It’s alright, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.” Will said sincerely, still holding on to the blond.

Ron smiled slightly and nodded before hissing in pain and closing his eyes.

“Is it your head?” Will questioned. Ron shook his head and rose a quivering hand to his stomach before sucking in a breath and coughing harshly. Blood splattered against the side of Will’s arm and he gasped.

“It’s worse than I thought.” Will muttered as Ronald’s breath began to even out and he started to still.

Will kept a soothing hand on the reaper’s head. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face as Ronald relaxed.

“Are you alright now, Ronald?”

Ron nodded. “I-I think so. What’s going on? What’s happening to me?”

“This all started when you graduated the academy, am I correct?” Will asked.

Ron’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Yeah, how did you know that?” He sat himself up on the couch, still trembling slightly.

“Because that’s how it starts. When you graduated, you became a fully fledged reaper and on extremely rare occasions, the process can go wrong. Reapers begin to remember their human lives…”

“… and that explains the migraines.” Ron finished, understanding washing over him. “So, the nightmares, what I was seeing, they were memories?”

“Yes.” Will answered.

There was a pause and Ron’s eyes widened. “I remember…” He whispered. “Gah!” He cried out, clutching his forehead.

Ronald stood in an empty bathroom, a bottle of pills in hand. His mother was pounding on the door. 

“Open the door!” 

“OPEN IT!” 

“RONALD!” She cried. 

Ron looked back to the mirror. His parents couldn’t afford to pay for him as well as all of his other brothers and sisters. The money he was bringing in from the whore house wasn’t enough. 

“I have to do it for them.” He said to himself, opening the pill bottle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we know what led Ronnie to becoming a reaper :/


	4. We'll Make It Stop, I Promise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will takes Ronald to The Undertaker's where they finally get the answers they've been searching for.

Ron gasped as he was sucked back into reality. Numbed, he felt something running down his face. He looked up to see William looking at him in alarm.

“You’re- you’re bleeding.” Will gasped.

Ron put a hand to his face and pulled way, staring in confusion at the crimson liquid coating his fingers.

Blood was leaking from his eyes, nose and ears.

“We need to take you to the Undertaker. Right now.”

He quickly pulled Ron to his feet, throwing his arm over his shoulder.

“We’re going to have to port, Ronald. There is no other way.” Will said in an apologetic tone. “I really don’t wish to port with you like this.” He muttered before heading towards the door. He grabbed his keys from the bowl. “Are you ready?”

Ron blearily nodded, blood still running down his face and entering the corner of his mouth. His eyes had blue bags under them and he looked like he was about to die at any given moment.

‘No. I won’t let that happen.’  Will thought.  ‘Not him. Anyone but him.’ 

They ported away.

~*~

Ron gasped, gurgling up blood and keeling over. Will was instantly by his side.

“Ronald! Ronnie, it’s alright. We’re nearly there, okay? The Undertaker’s is around the corner and I need you to start walking. Can you do that for me?” Will asked, taking hold of Ronald’s face in his hands to hold the reaper’s head up, cupping his cheek lightly.

Ron nodded, standing up onto his feet shakily. Will grabbed his torso, determined not to let his subordinate fall again. He would not let that happen, not to Ronnie.

The blond groaned quietly and Will tried to keep the look of panic off his face. Ron was the first person to generate any sort of emotion in him and he’d be damned if he let the reaper die.

They slowly approached the shop, Will muttering encouragements in Ronald’s ear.

“It’s right there, see? You’re going to be fine. We’ll fix this. You’ll be back to work in no time, I promise.” Will hoped with that last sentence Ronald would say something cheeky, but the reaper was silent save for his trembling breaths.

Will quickly slammed open the door to the shop, causing a huge ruckus. He quickly brought Ronald inside, silently praying to any god that was listening that the Undertaker had the answer.

“Heheheh~ Come ta buy one of me coffins?” A low voice sounded.

Will whipped his head around the room, trying to find the source whilst Ronald blinked hazily, trying to keep his eyes open.

“I don’t have time for your games, Undertaker!” Will growled. “This is an emergency; I need your help  now  .”

“Well why didn’t ya say so?” The Undertaker giggled, appearing from behind one of his oak coffins. “My my, blondie! What ‘appened to you?”

“I think something is wrong with his record.” Will said, eyeing the blond beside him with concern. “I read in the library that it could be due to something going wrong when he became a full fledged reaper. I think he’s beginning to remember his human life.”

“Well sit ‘im down and I’ll ‘ave a good look at ‘im!”

William did as he was told, setting Ron down on one of the coffins and keeping a hand behind his back to keep him upright.

The Undertaker trotted over, eyeing the blond with an inquisitive gaze. Ron coughed weakly, blood spurting from his lips.

The Undertaker's eyebrows furrowed beneath his fringe. “Has ‘e been ‘avin migraines?”

“Yes.” Will answered. “He told me he saw pictures, too. Then he was brought into another migraine which only worsened his condition. That’s when the bleeding started.”

The elder Shinigami tutted. “Looks like ya theory is right, Willy, well done. There is definitely somethin’ wrong with ‘is record. Ya see, reapers ain’t supposed to know about their human lives or how they died, that’s why we’re banned from lookin’ at our records. It wreaks havoc on our reaper bodies, causin’ them to shut down. Nasty stuff. One of the few things that can actually kill a reaper if I ain’t mistaken.”

“How do we cure it?” Will asked, anxiety bubbling in his stomach.

“I need to make ‘im a full reaper.” The Undertaker said simply.

Will’s face contorted into confusion. “But he already is a full reaper.”

The Undertaker chuckled. “Obviously not, Willy, if he’s reactin’ like this. His whole body’s rejectin’ ‘im because he still has human in ‘im. He still remembers.”

Ron whimpered, raising a hand to his temple. “Please make i-it stop.” He whispered. Will ran a hand over his back in the hopes of comforting him whilst the Undertaker watched the scene with a glint in his eye and a smirk on his face.

“We’ll make it stop, Ronald. I promise.” Will vowed, putting his hand over Ronald’s. Ron squeezed the older reaper’s hand, thankful for the rare gesture of affection.

The Undertaker stepped forward and raised a hand towards Ronald’s forehead. There was a blinding flash of light and an ear piercing scream. Then, silence.


	5. I Didn't Mean To Say That!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will tries to portray his feelings to Ronald for the first time in a long while.

Will blinked back the dark spots in his vision, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

“Undertaker, what just happened?” He asked. He saw his subordinate lay on his side a few feet away from him. “Ronald!” Will cried. He ran over to the still reaper and shook him gently. No response. “Ronnie, can you hear me? Ron, answer me!” He shook the Shinigami harder, panic consuming him. “God damn it, Knox! You were supposed to come to work half an hour late and annoy me all day and flirt with receptionists and chase after Sutcliff for me! You were supposed to tell me about your drinking escapades that I pretend not to listen to and you were supposed to- you were supposed to-“ Will sobbed. “You were supposed to be here.”

Undertaker approached cautiously, grinning. Will scowled at him, ready to shout, when a meek voice spoke up.

“Y-you actually listen to my drinking stories?” Ron’s eye cracked open and a small smile appeared on his face.

“Knox!” Will blurted, embarrassed. “Are you alright?”

“Hunky dory.” Ron replied dryly.

“Then don’t frighten me like that again!” Will yelled, smacking the younger reaper on the arm. “Are you trying to kill off your boss? Honestly, it’s like you  want  me to go grey before my time.”

“Oh no, no, ya time’s not up yet, Willy. In fact, ya life’s only just beginning.” The Undertaker gave a knowing look and Will’s face went beat read.

He cleared his throat and looked down to his subordinate. “Can you stand, Knox?”

Ron nodded, unsteadily getting to his feet whilst Will prepared himself in case the blond fell.

“Well you’re lookin’ a lot better, Blondie, I have to say!” The Undertaker grinned.

Ron smiled. “Yeah, thanks for that.”

“No problem, dearie! Now go, be merry!”

Ron looked back to Will and his eyes softened. Will’s lips upturned slightly as they prepared to leave.

“Thank you for everything, Undertaker.” Will said, shaking the elder shinigami’s hand. The Undertaker pulled Will closer to him, giving what appeared to be a hug.

“It’s alright, Willy.” He whispered in his ear. “For once, do what ya heart tells ya instead of that pretty little head.”

Will blushed and nodded, not quite sure what to say.

“Now before you go,” The Undertaker said. “You should know that I’ve done what I can but there will still be after effects.”

“After effects?” Ron questioned nervously. “Like what?”

“I’ve removed the memories from ya but there will be… echoes. They’ve left a mark on ya brain that I can’t remove so from time to time, you will get flashes I’m afraid. An occasional migraine, a nosebleed ‘ere and there but nothing life threatening. But, if for any reason it gets worse than that, you come back ‘ere, Blondie.” The Undertaker grinned. “Now are ya sure you don’t want a fittin’ for one of me coffins?”

“We’re fine, thank you.” Will answered. “Good day, Undertaker.”

“Goodbye, my dearies!” The mortician called. “Don’t forget what I said, Willy!”

Will’s eyebrow twitched but he said nothing as the two reapers left the parlour.

~*~

It was cold on the streets of London and Ron shivered slightly.

“Boss?” He asked.

“What is it, Knox?”

“Were you worried for me? And what did Undertaker say to you?”

“Nothing of your concern, Ronald.” William huffed.

“Alright…” Ronald said as he watched Will from the corner of his eye. “But I preferred it when ya called me Ronnie.” He grinned.

Will’s cheeks dusted a light pink. “I didn’t know you could hear me.” He muttered. “And to answer your first question, yes. I was worried. You frightened me back there.”

“I’m sorry.” Ron said. “I didn’t know it was gonna be that bad.”

“How long did it go on for?” Will asked quietly.

“A few months.” Ron answered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Will stopped walking, fully facing the blond.

Ron halted also and shifted under his gaze. “I didn’t wanna worry anyone or end up back in the academy.” He sighed. “I wasn’t supposed to be a reaper, I’m useless.”

Will frowned and walked over to the junior, grabbing his shoulders. “Look at me, Ronald.” The reaper glanced up, making eye contact. “You are a good reaper. You always try and get your work on time to avoid overtime and you’re exceptional on the field. You deserve to be in my division and I am lucky to have you, even if you aren’t exactly suited to deskwork.” He added with a grin and Ron smiled gently. “So don’t you say that you are useless.”

“Yes, Boss.” Ron whispered.

They began walking again in silence.

“Ronald,” The blond looked up. “I have something I must admit to you.”

“What is it?” He asked.

“I haven’t felt emotion for a person in a very long time,” Will started, not sure how to phrase his words. “It’s because of you that I realize I don’t have to be as… emotionless after hours. In fact, you’re the perfect example of a reaper. You do your job, but you know how to switch off. I… admire that quality in you.”

Ron stopped short, blushing. “Who are you and what have you done with sexy Mr William T Spears?” He joked, before slamming a hand over his mouth as Will raised an eyebrow.

“Sexy, am I, Knox?”

“Y-yeah well – I mean no! I- um it just sort of slipped out!”

Will approached Ron with an unreadable expression and the blond cringed, half expecting to be slapped. Instead, Will smirked and cupped Ron’s cheek.

“Look at the state of you.” He muttered gently, running a thumb over the dried blood on his face.

“B-boss?” Ron said unsurely.

The Undertaker’s voice echoed in Will’s head and he sighed, leaning in and giving Ron a peck on the lips. “I’m really glad you’re okay… Ronnie.”

Ronald blushed furiously and looked at his feet. “I love it when you call me that.” He looked back up at Will’s face, grinning. He quickly stood on his tiptoes, grabbing hold of each side of Will’s face and kissed him deeply.

Will stiffened at first, not used to the contact, but began to kiss back, tugging on Ron’s hair lightly. Ron wrapped his arms around Will’s torso, breathing heavily.

They eventually pulled back, panting slightly and Ron had a dazed expression on his face whilst brushing a finger over his swollen lips.

Will cleared his throat. “Well, this certainly changes things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez guys, get a room! XD


	6. I'll Keep You Safe

1 month later

Ron sat at his desk, running a hand over his temple trying to sooth his migraine. In the past couple of weeks, he had gone back to partying, able to do the same as before for which he was thankful. However, the headaches never really left him.

He sighed, he only had one report to do before he clocked out and could go home with William. The whole office now knew about their relationship and Alan was especially delighted to see them both happy. Some of the girls down in general affairs didn’t like it, but Ron didn’t care about them. He was finally content and no brunette in a pair of high heels were going to change that, unless it was Will, of course. Ron smirked at the thought of seeing his boss in a pair of stilettoes.

“Knox!” Will called and Ron grimaced slightly. They had agreed to stay strictly professional at work, although that rule was sometimes broken when they spent some alone time in Will’s office.

Will lowered his voice when he reached Ron’s desk, knowing the tell-tale signs of when he had one of his headaches. “Have you finished your reports?” He asked quietly.

“Almost.” Ron responded. “Just one more left.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at home.”

Ron nodded and picked up his pen.

~*~

It had been fifteen minutes and Ron groaned to himself, finally finishing the report. His head was pounding and the lights hurt his eyes. He blinked heavily, thankful for the short reprieve away from the brightness.

Unsteadily, he got to his feet, reports in hand, and headed to Will’s now empty office and dropped them off.

He ran a hand through his hair, keeping a finger on his temple to soothe the hammering in his skull.

‘Is this what I’m gonna have to deal with for the rest of my reaper life? Great…”  He thought sarcastically to himself before porting away.

~*~

Will almost jumped out of his skin when Ron appeared in the living room. The junior began living with him a couple of weeks ago. It was preferable for them as they didn’t really see much of each other at work and in all honesty, Will was starting to get a little lonely in an apartment on his own, even if Ron had the bad habit of leaving his undergarments on every surface.

“How are you feeling, Ronnie?” He asked in a low voice, unsure of the blond’s current state.

Ron just shook his head, taking off his shoes and heading over the couch Will was seated on. Will opened his arms and Ron sat down, snuggling himself into the elder reaper’s side. The brunet wrapped his arms around Ron’s form, running a hand through his curls.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company. Will looked down to see that the blond had fallen asleep, pouting slightly. He smiled to himself, watching him doze.

‘He looks so cute when he sleeps like that.’  He thought.  ‘I may not be able to stop the headaches, but I shall not let him deal with them alone.’ 

He scooped Ron up into his arms and carried him over to their bedroom, placing him carefully onto the bed.

“Sleep well, Ronald Knox.” Will said, placing a kiss into the reaper’s hair.

Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this story! More works coming from me very soon :)


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